West African countries should pool resources...

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West African countries should pool resources for future World Trade Market Expositions – says GATTA President.

Mr. Gordon F. Pinto, President of the Ghana Association of Travel and Tour Agents (GATTA) has called on countries in the West African sub-region to consider pooling resources together in order to acquire one big stand to showcase their tourist products in the next World Travel Market expositions.

He said the pooling of resources will also provide the opportunity for the countries to develop themes which will serve the aspirations of all countries in view of the identifiable line of tourist products.

Mr. Pinto made the observation at the just-ended World Trade Market 2003 held at the Excel Exhibition in London.

Ghana’s stand was manned for the first time by a 17-member team made up of travel and tour companies which were responsible for the payment of the Ghana stand at the exhibition.

He described Ghana’s participation as a worthy experience since the exhibition enabled the tour agents to network with their counterparts from various parts of the world.

Mr. Pinto added that there was the need for infusion of capital and external investment into the tourist industry if the government’s target of bringing home one million tourists per year was to be a reality.

He called on all major and minor carriers operating from Accra and the hotels to contribute substantially towards such major world tourist exhibitions.

Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Mr. Isaac Osei said the manning of Ghana’s stand in this year’s exhibition by mostly tour operators was indicative of the determination of the NPP government to encourage the private sector to play a vanguard role in showcasing the rich and diversified tourist products of the nation in future tourism exhibitions.

He said that as tourism was a dynamic industry, members of the association should gird up their loins, pull their resources together in order to compete favourably with other developing countries.

He commended members of the association for their resolve and determination to sell Ghana as a preferred tourism destination.